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2026 Virginia Power 50 List: THOMAS S. GAYNER
CEO, MARKEL GROUP, GLEN ALLEN
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
2026 Virginia Power 50 List: THOMAS S. GAYNER
CEO, MARKEL GROUP, GLEN ALLEN
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
Gayner has led the Fortune 500 insurance holding company as its sole CEO since 2023, after serving more than six years as co-CEO with Richard Whitt III, who retired.
Gayner oversees about 22,000 employees and three divisions: insurance, investments and Markel Ventures, which owns controlling interests in a portfolio of about 20 businesses. Since 2023, he has served on the Coca-Cola board, and he also sits on Graham Holdings’ board. Before joining Markel, Gayner was vice president of Davenport & Co. and a certified public accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Markel reported operating revenues of $16.6 billion in 2024, a roughly 5% increase from 2023, and 2025’s numbers were trending upward as of October.
In 2023, Gayner and his wife, Susan, launched the University of Virginia’s Gayner Family Sustainable Investment Fund, which uses revenue from student-directed investments to fund scholarships.
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